Recommended places to eat in Bishkek

With any new country or city, it’s always great to experience the local culinary delights, and even their take on food from other cultures. You’ll find amazing Kyrgyz and international cuisine from budget to extravagant here in Bishkek.

Since I’m a budget backpacker (and a massive tight ass), you’ll find the below restaurant recommendations that are friendly for your wallet and tantalising for your taste buds.

Here are some top recommended restaurants for you to try and experience when you are in Bishkek.

Note: Most restaurants in Kyrgyzstan will apply a service charge of 10-15% to the final bill so budget accordingly.

If you’re after something quick, affordable, and to satisfy your hunger, head to Buffet in the centre of town, near Ala Too Square.

It is a 24/7 canteen in a simple but stylish and modern setting.

While the range of available food isn’t extensive compared to other canteens I have dined in, it’s enough to whet your appetite at affordable prices. You will find classics like plov, manty, dumplings, and salads.

Don’t expect a lot of vegetarian options here.

If you’re brave enough to go where only local people go and English is unheard of, you’ll be rewarded with some really good manty, freshly made and steamed in front of your eyes.

There is a selection of different flavours that include beef, potato, and pumpkin. They also serve other local favourites as well, such as dumpling soups and lagman.

This place is visited exclusively by locals so don’t expect any communication (written and verbal) in English here. Google Translate will be your friend!

When you think of Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan, would you think you may find one of the world’s best Korean fried chicken? Well, it’s exactly what you’ll find here at Chicken Star!

The Korean style fried chicken here is one of the best I have ever tasted and it’s easy see (or taste rather) why it is so popular with locals and travellers.

There are sharing plates but it’s so hard to share when you want the whole plate of delectable crispy chicken to yourself! They don’t just do Korean fried chicken of different flavours and levels of spiciness either – there are also other menu items like kimbap, salads, plov, and desserts like cheesecake and brownies.

They also do tea and coffee here with an international flair.

They also have regular live music on Saturdays so Chicken Star can be a great night out full of amazing food and entertainment.

Looking for an ambient Kyrgyz dining experience without a hefty price tag? Consider Yr kese.

It has an extensive menu full of traditional Kyrgyz and appealing Central Asian dishes.

The décor is lovely and cultural, setting the mood right. The service is friendly as well, and on some nights you’ll also find some live music.

Note: There is a 15% service surcharge on top of your bill at the end.

Among the popular establishments in Bishkek, Café Faiza is a local and traveller favourite for delicious Kyrgyz food at wallet-friendly prices.

You’ll find Kyrgyz favourites such as lagman, manty, shashlik, and plov, often with generous portions, even if it’s a ‘small’ portion.

I would recommend Café Faiza as the only place to eat at, if you have limited time and/or money in Bishkek.

Note there are limited vegetarian options here (I ordered pumpkin manty thinking it had only pumpkin in it but it also had beef!).

There are a plethora of great restaurants in Bishkek and these are just a few of them.

Food makes up so much of local culture and of the travel experience – Always take the time to experience some local cuisine either from a restaurant or lovingly made from a local friend.

What do you look for in a good restaurant or for what to eat locally while travelling?

Been to Bishkek? What’s a fantastic restaurant you have dined in during your time there? Let others and I know!

If you know someone who is planning to go Bishkek or is already in Bishkek, share this useful post to them now to let them know about some great restaurants.